New Year, New Forum Software

Howdy Ranchers, We're extremely happy to announce that our forums are moving to made-with-java software on January 3, 2009.

Why?

Well, it's about time, don't you think? The new software is open source java (jforum.net) and we've already been working hard behind the scenes modifying it to act like we want it to (remember our world domination plans?). So if something breaks, we can fix it ourselves. Imagine!

Besides, we just didn't feel like explaining one more time why our java forums don't run on java code. So there.

What do you need to do?

For now, just sit back and relish the thought.

Before January 3rd:

Private messages will not be moved, so save any private messages now that you would like to keep for your grandchildren. You can continue your private messaging after the move to the new forum software.

We are very busy right now! You know the feeling. Please, please wait with any questions, comments, etc. about this new thing until this new thing is here. We'll be giving you lots more information on January 3rd, we promise.

On January 3rd:

You'll need to be patient while we do the heavy lifting.

Starting at 7:00 am JavaRanch time, we'll need to make the forums read-only for a couple hours while we migrate data. And y'all know how those pesky deployments go - the unexpected could make it take all day or even all weekend if major problems pop up. So please be patient and remember we're hard at work to bring you nice new software for Monday morning in all time zones. And remember it's the weekend - go have fun.

I am one of those great dying fan of Java Ranch. I am really not sure how you guys are handling this problem.

Problem: When some got any Java related question, first they are going to ask our Google grand-grand-father. He then shows the way to Java ranch website becuase Java ranch pages were so popular in java world.

I am totally worried and affraid, how this Java ranch software upgrde would be handling this arround.

One best worst example is, when pretty lowley oracle bought lowley BEA they started moving all the URL's into oracles domain..and poor guys like me seach for some BEA related question Grand-Great fater Mr.Google gives us the way out there but those links were no more served..they have been dows for long way....all this making me worried a lot arround.

Hope JAVA RANCH would be taking care arround these issues. Thanks and regards,Vijay

Vijay Gadde
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.. Working together is success........

Virtually the entire corpus of data -- about 2 million messages, almost 200 thousand users -- has been migrated to the new database, and their original URLs have been recorded. When you visit an old URL -- including threads, forums, and even user profiles -- you'll be automatically redirected (via an HTTP 301 "Moved Permanently" response) to the matching page on the new site. In most cases you won't even realize anything has happened. In time, the 301 responses will cause Google to update its own database, and the new URLs will replace the old ones in search results.

Sounds like the JavaRanch staff has been hard at work. Thanks for the effort!

I think this announcement and the e-mail on it is causing some strain on the poor jforum.net server. I just went there to check out the software and the server is responding rather slowly. I suspect a "few" other ranchers are doing the same thing

Cool - I'm excited! Congratulations to the ranch staff how have been involved in this. For those who are worried: I think the bartenders and sheriffs themselves are huge Ranch addicts, and I trust them to have carefully tested this stuff and thought it through. The sky is not falling, repeat, the sky is not falling. I'm looking forward to the new year... [ December 22, 2008: Message edited by: Mike Simmons ]

Victor, Please note this part of Pauline's post. We will be happy to answer questions about the new software after it is live:

We are very busy right now! You know the feeling. Please, please wait with any questions, comments, etc. about this new thing until this new thing is here. We'll be giving you lots more information on January 3rd, we promise.

All: Please, please, please hold your questions until after January 3rd so we can focus on a successful migration. Would you rather have the answers to your questions now or problems because we were busy answering questions and couldn't do something critical? We want to give people notice, but at the same time we really need to work on this project behind the scenes.

I had a look at the link that I got in the private message that Javaranch has sent to all the ranchers and the look and feel seems more intuitive with pictures of the ranchers and so on. Hope we get something like that.

It's fair to say that it won't look like any other forum that's using JForum - it'll look like JavaRanch. On the other hand, it's not UBB, so things will look and work differently, and may take some time getting used to. But that's the case with every web site relaunch, so there's nothing to be afraid of.

Originally posted by Jeanne Boyarsky: Victor, Please note this part of Pauline's post. We will be happy to answer questions about the new software after it is live:

All: Please, please, please hold your questions until after January 3rd so we can focus on a successful migration. Would you rather have the answers to your questions now or problems because we were busy answering questions and couldn't do something critical? We want to give people notice, but at the same time we really need to work on this project behind the scenes.

Well, about my first two questions, they are just Yes/No questions that could be very easily and quickly answered. But if you care, no problem, I can post them again in january.

My third question is because the actual javaranch and the JForum way to handle quotes, emoticons and alike are different, and I think that lots of javaranchers will be concerned about possible problems with this.

If the new software (and the JavaRanch staff) were ready now, we'd have it already; but we're not there yet. On January 3rd, we will be. Until then, everybody will have to live in suspense ... ain't that exciting? You can consider it a late Christmas/New Years present, and mark the days until then in a calendar! Every day it'll be just a bit closer ... and that's probably as much as we'll say about it in public.

May I dare to ask one simple question that won't have any meaning after upgrade. The question is simple - how do I save my private messages? I don't see a link or button that allows me to forward it to my mail address!

May I dare to ask one simple question that won't have any meaning after upgrade. The question is simple - how do I save my private messages? I don't see a link or button that allows me to forward it to my mail address!

There is no automated way - you need to copy/paste those messages by hand.

What will become of this current javaranch software? I hope you have planned a proper burial/cremation for this software and along with all our memories to commemorate all the great times we all had around here if they even matter to you.

Vikas Kapoor
Ranch Hand

Joined: Aug 16, 2007
Posts: 1374

posted Dec 24, 2008 10:33:00

0

How do you manage? Doing regular office work. Managing the forums. Day to day work. And now this migration work. Handling the associated problems. How do you all synchronise as geographically sheriffs are located all across the world and not limited to USA. How do you communicate effectively to solve any problem you face? Who is the project manager?

I guess you have chosen this X'mas time so that you have less burden in offices and you can get some time for this migration stuff.